Forms: 6 bombasyne, 6–9 -in, 7 bumbazine, 7–9 bombazin, 8 bumbasine, 8–9 bombazeen, 9 bombazine, 7– bombasine. [a. F. bombasin, ad. late L. bombasinum, var. of bombȳcinum (Isidore) a silk texture, neuter of bombȳcinus silken, f. bombyx, -ȳcem silk-worm, silk. On the later transfer of bombyx, bombax, and its derivatives to ‘tree-silk’ or cotton, bombasin was also applied to cotton fabrics, ‘fustaine ou bombasin, et toute autre chose faicte de coton, xylinum,’ R. Estienne, Petit Dict.]
† 1. Raw cotton; = BOMBACE 1. Obs.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind., I. II. (Arb.), 69, marg. This Cotton the Spaniardes call Algodon & the Italians Bombasine.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Du Bombasyn, Bombasin, cotton.
2. A twilled or corded dress-material, composed of silk and worsted; sometimes also of cotton and worsted, or of worsted alone. In black the material is much used in mourning.
1572. Wills & Inv. N. C. (1835), I. 373. One doblat of white bombasyne.
1611. Cotgr., Bombasin, the stuffe Bumbazine; or any kind of stuffe that’s made of cotton, or of cotton and linnen.
1660. Act 12 Chas. II., iv. Sched., Boratoes or Bombasines—narrow the single piece not above 15 yards, vjl.
1747. Mrs. Delany, Autobiog. (1861), II. 478. Black bombazeen will do very well in a sack.
1789. Wolcott (P. Pindar), Expost. Ode, XV. Wks. 1812, II. 248. In Sorrow’s dismal crape or bombazeen.
1820. Miss Mitford, in L’Estrange, Life (1870), II. iv. 83. Crape and bombazin and broad-hemmed frills.
1831. G. Porter, Silk Manuf., 299. Bombasin … a twilled manufacture, having its warp of silk, and its shoot of worsted.
b. attrib. and comb.
1666. Pepys, Diary (1879), III. 494. Putting on my black stuffe bombazin suit.
1766. Anstey, Bath Guide, xi. (1804), 94. Who is that bombazine lady so gay, So profuse of her beauties, in sable array?
1819. P. O. Lond. Directory, 19. Bombazeen Manufacturers. Ibid., 144. Bombazeen-dressers.
